drawer bottom plane?

[Ken Bryant]

Anybody know anyone who currently builds drawer bottom planes? I have a Emmerich plow plane, and a Record combination plane, and loathe them both. Is the real thing still out there, or should I eBay?

[Alan DuBoff]

Anybody know anyone who currently builds drawer bottom planes? I have a Emmerich plow plane, and a Record combination plane, and loathe them both. Is the real thing still out there, or should I eBay?

Ken,

I'm not sure what you mean by drawer bottom planes. Do you mean a slotter to cut a slot for a drawer bottom to slide into the sides? I just traded a one away to a local galoot, and only have one more that it burried somewhere, but will keep for myself.

One of the great tools that can be used for this is a router plane, and Lee Valley has the Veritas Router Plane that, IMO (emphasized on purpose;-), is well suited for the task at hand, if I understand what you're asking about. If that is the case, I reccomend the fence option for that task. I do own one of these and can highly reccomend it. A fine hand tool that I believe adjusts better than the original Stanley router planes.

Old woodie slotters are good tools for what you ask as well, and you can get one on the big auction site on the web, as you pointed out. The advantage is that they don't need to be adjusted much, only to set the depth of the iron for the wood you're using. So it is a specialized tool for a specific job in many cases (i.e., 1/4" blade, 1/4" from the edge).

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Ken--I am assuming you mean a plane for cutting the groove?

fwiw, I basically use one of a couple plow planes, the Record 043 for small work and a larger, wooden plow for wider/deeper grooves.

I have used a wood dado plane on the long grain. It worked great. Nickers on both sides which came in handy on a couple drawers due to the wavy grain.

But otherwise, I just use a couple plows. I just was offered a Record 050, which I gladly got coming this way. I suspect it will work fine, too.

When I used a Sargent #45-alike, I had to set the blade projection much finer than either of the above. I suspect it was due to not holding the blade as tightly as either of the other planes I have used. So that may be something to check and try.

Take care, Mike

[Derek Cohen]

Ken

I know which one you mean. After watching Rob Cosman's recent DVD on drawer-making in which he used a dedicated plane to cut a 1/4" groove, I decided I must have one as well!

As Alan noted, a router plane is a very useful plane for this task (see my review of the LV router plane for a tutorial: http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/d...lane/index.asp ), and Mike noted, the #043 (and #044 for me and #50 for him) are others to use.

So a dedicated grooving plane is not essential. As it turned out I found one among the my derelict bunch of moulding planes and cleaned it up. It is a terrific plane and this is now my current favourite.

Pictures:





Regards from Perth

Derek

[James Mittlefehldt]

What Derek suggested would be my suggestion as well. ie the groove half of a tongue and groove match plane set, they come with a fence built in and work well, except that they are limited to one size, they are not adjustable.

I have found that these often show up at flea markets and such so it should not be hard to find one, well around here it isn't, I can't speak for Vancouver.

I have used a Stanly Router plane for that and it worked though not ideal, and I now have a Veritas which I have not yet had a chance to use in that application, but I think it would be better than the Stanley.

[Ken Bryant]

Derek, THAT'S the beast I was looking for! I do indeed have a Veritas routing plane, but in Cosman's hands the other tool looked so perfect. ('Course in Cosman's hands a broken screwdriver would also have left a perfect groove...)

[John Kempkes]

I have one, it's the one on the top left. Came with several width blades and is much smaller than the typical plow plane. Not really necessary, you could do the same with a larger plane, but it was one more for the shelves and I liked the price.

[Clinton Findlay]

Ken,
I have the plough 1/2 from a match tongue and groove plane set, similiar to the one Derek posted.
Mine is the Buck 247, and has a movable fence (allows an adjustment of about a 1/2" of the position of the groove from the boards face). I've been looking for its mate for over a year and had absolutely no luck!

I think the moveable fence is a good idea, although I had trouble setting it parrallel untill I started using a block to slip in between the fence and the steel plate to position the fence accurately. If I had extra plough blades so that I could have a choice of plough widths I'd be happier. I don't think that a cross grain nicker is of any benefit for drawer bottoms, although it could be added and would make the plane a little more versitile (for other jobs)... but in that case a combination plane would be better suited. (This is all just IMO and others will prefer to do it differently.)

Generally these t&g planes are sold individually, and the paired sets are more expensive than two on their own. I can think of some on-line old tools stores in the US that you'd be able to find them in... pm me if you have any trouble finding them. As for new makers.... sorry, I don't know of any.

[Jake Darvall]

the 43's the go for small grooves. Deepen its fence. With the added stability it brings and the planes small size, it tops them all I think.

Can work them much faster with the same degree of accuracy.

Like that panel raiser you've got there John. You make that yourself ?

[John Kempkes]

No, that photo was the haul from the spring MWTCA swap meet. The panel raiser was in applewood and is made by a guy in Milwaukee. I've got two of them, and would have more if the guy hadn't left early in the fall meet!

[Jake Darvall]

No, that photo was the haul from the spring MWTCA swap meet. The panel raiser was in applewood and is made by a guy in Milwaukee. I've got two of them, and would have more if the guy hadn't left early in the fall meet!

2 !.....you spoilt bugger ! ......whats the others profile.

MWTCA ?....Milwakaukee tool...something Association ??....How does that work ? ....Do you just walk around looking at each others tools saying things like

...' I'll swap you your panel raiser for my stanley 110 ' ?.....

excuse me. I've never been to a swap meet. Don't think they have them in Australia.

[John Kempkes]

MWTCA is the Midwest Tool Collector's Association. Our local chapter has swap meets twice a year, usually about 30-50 dealers and tools spread over 40 or so 8' long tables. They are bad places to visit if you're trying to save money.